Niagara County PTA challenges standardized testing

by jmaloni

Fri, Oct 19th 2012 08:00 pm

The Niagara County PTA has joined in
voicing its objections to the state's newest testing protocols for
students in grades 3 to 8.

At
their first meeting of the new academic year, the Niagara Region PTA
passed a resolution calling on the state Education Department to
enact a moratorium on the state's 3-8 testing program. This
resolution will be submitted for consideration as an emergency
resolution at the NYS PTA Convention in Saratoga Springs in November.

The
state's testing program raised the ire of parents, teachers and
students all over New York this past April when all students in
grades 3 to 8 were required to sit for 90 minutes of testing in math
and ELA each day for six days, for a total of nine hours. By
comparison, the LSAT required for students to get into law school
takes about three hours to complete, and the test to become a New
York City police officer takes about 90 minutes, the PTA notes.

The
PTA document, richly supported by recent research, surveys of
parents, and the first-hand experiences of families with the
sometimes devastating effects of over testing now present in schools,
serves as a stinging indictment of the State Education Department's
recent reforms centered on student testing and teacher evaluation.

At
the heart of the resolution is a concern for the well being of
children, and it documents the growing body of research showing that
over relying on high stakes testing in grades 3 to 8 causes "teaching
to the test," narrowed curriculum opportunities, increased
emotional stress among children, the marginalization of both very
high performing students and students with special needs, an overall
lowering of standards and disregard for individual difference,
critical thinking and human creativity.

"There
are so many families who see their children suffer from anxiety and
fear caused by these tests," said MaryBeth Carroll, Niagara Region
PTA director. "It seems as if we've gotten away from the purpose
of these tests - to identify areas where schools need to improve,
rather than evaluate the child and the teacher."

Dr.
John McKenna, principal at Fletcher Elementary School in Tonawanda
and education chair of the Niagara Region PTA, said, "We want to
develop a system with true accountability that is beneficial to our
students and teachers."

"When
Gov. Cuomo announced this legislation, he told us that students
didn't have a lobbyist and that he is the students' lobbyist."
I think he forgot that our children and families to advocate for
them," Carroll said. "We are their lobbyists, and we don't want
this for our children. They deserve better."

The
Niagara Region PTA represents 33 separate PTA units as well as two
PTA councils, located within the following school districts: Albion,
Barker, Grand Island, Holley, Kendall, Lewiston-Porter, Lockport,
Lyndonville, Medina, Newfane, North Tonawanda, Royalton-Hartland,
Starpoint, Tonawanda and Wilson.